The Chairman of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Dr Abdul Jabbar, presented Pemra's report of performance for the year 2010-11 to the President of Pakistan in a meeting held on Saturday at President House Islamabad. Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting Dr Firdous Aashiq Awan and Secretary Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Taimoor Azmat were also present.
While presenting the report, the Pemra Chairman said that Section 17 of Pemra (Amendment) Act-2007 ordains compilation and submission of an annual report for each financial year to the President of Pakistan and to arrange for its publication and circulation to the media and public. As a departure from the normal practice this report is a consolidated review of the Authority's performance during the financial year 2010-11. "We have been striving to make it a regular annual feature to keep abreast all our valued stakeholders about regulatory initiatives and their micro & macro economic impact on national landscape," the Pemra Chairman stated.
The Chairman further said that Pemra, by the end of FY 2010-11 had issued 85 licences for indigenous satellite TV. Of this, 48 licences were of entertainment category, 29 news and current affairs, 6 for educational TV, 1 Health and 1 Agro TV channel licences have been issued. Besides, 26 landing rights permissions were issued to offshore channels.
Similarly, 2,341 cable TV, 6 MMDS, 1 IPTV and 3 Mobile TV licences were issued by Pemra, which are contributing remarkably as catalyst of socio-political change in the society. The report stated that new vistas had opened up for investment and employment in the broadcast arena.
According to a safer estimate, this buoyant sector has observed cumulative investment of about $2.5 billion in distinct forms and provided direct employment to more than 200,000 people of diversified qualification and skills, whereas about 7.00 million people have been accommodated through indirect employment.
"If this brisk continues, it is estimated that the cumulative investment would touch US $4 billion mark by the end of financial year 2011-12. Thus the direct and indirect employment would tend to multiply. This has paved for opportunities in allied businesses like production houses, advertising agencies, music and performing arts that has never witnessed before".
On operational account, the Pemra report says that illegal up-linking by 11 foreign news channels/agencies was stopped during Abbottabad incident in given year. Pemra raided more than 2,000 cable TV operators during the period and about 1200 systems were seized. Penalties worth Rs 10 million were imposed. Nearly 100 foreign channels of various type being run illegally on cable networks were put off air and notably more than 250 illegal FM radio stations preaching violence and extremism were shut down in Punjab, Sindh and mostly in NWFP.
It said that the electronic media today has emerged as one of the fastest growing and competitive sectors in Pakistan. It is presumed that this report would provide insight to readers about Pemra's performance, initiatives, regulatory challenges and emerging trends and technologies in the field of electronic media in Pakistan.-PR
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